Website: https://www.enrootldn.co.uk/

Address: Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton Oval, SW2 1JG

En Root is open all week, 12.00—21.00

You don’t need a picture of the Ritzy cinema – you know what and where it is. But you might not know that our old friends En Root, see here and here, have taken over the foyer cafe. They’ve given up the cafe, although not the deli, in Clapham Park Road, although they haven’t yet updated the website.

En Root kept us in fresh food boxes during COVID lockdowns (see review), but unfortunately, this service has stopped. Instead, they have returned to their own roots as a cafe, but based in the Ritzy. We haven’t been out for a while so, after an early showing of Fabelmans, our choice of restaurants was made easy as we walked through and saw an empty table. People do sit here but often for a short period. So it is worth hanging around but make it out of the screen smartish after the end of the film.

En Root is an evolution in cooking. First a little deli, then producing their own hot sauce and then on to restaurants in Brixton and Peckham. This is a vegan restaurant – plant-powered, Indian-inspired goodness. We ordered samosa chaat to share, then the En Root thali and a Don dada platter.

The samosa chat is a crunchy sensation and we would happily have had a larger one for a whole meal. The vegetable samosas are hot (by temperature and really crispy – so a run from the fryer to the table) and they were cut and served with chickpea, onion and pomegranate mixed in with the “spice crispies”, raita and chutney both hot (with spice) so do not think this will alleviate any chilli burn.

The main courses were huge and as you can see from the photos difficult to differentiate. Both had daily dhal, coconut curry, golden rice and rainbow salad but the Thali is the one with the raita and jerk mushroom mix, while the Don Dada had the sag aloo and plantain. They also differed in calories – those on a diet choose the Thali (457kcal) as the Don Dada was 53kcal more. We also added a paratha. The food was good and spicy, but nothing extreme.

We enjoyed everything but couldn’t finish it all – I am sure it is plant-powered goodness but next time we will share a main. There was enough good fibre for a whole day.

We washed it all down with a kombucha (raspberry and hibiscus) and a couple of beers. We estimate that it cost us £33.00 without the beers and a tip (we lost the bill). We will return but this time will be prepared for some serious eating and a tussle over what to share.

Note that there is a lunchtime special available for £6 from noon until 3pm, which looks good value.